Stroop Effect Essay
An experiment into the interference between automatic and controlled processing: A variation of the Stroop effect.
Abstract
The effects of completing a task which requires the use of both automatic and controlled processes was investigated through a two-process experiment designed around a variation of the Stroop effect. Previous research found that, when performing certain tasks, response time is longer when an automatic process conflicts with a controlled process, in this instance reading interferes with naming the colour of ink a word is written in. These results reinforced a two-process theory of attention. In the current experiment, the nature of the words in which various colours of ink were printed was manipulated. The results further …show more content…
In an experiment participants were required to identify the colours that were used to spell out the names of other colours, as swiftly as possible (the Stroop condition). In the alternate condition, in which participants tended to execute their response with greater ease, colour-neutral words were used (e.g. rat, grand, bolt, etc.). It would seem that the ability to read forms an automatic response, which during the Stroop experiments interfered with the controlled process of naming the colour of the …show more content…
Sixteen of these participants were recruited from personnel at The Open University, or their family members and friends. The remaining four were selected from associates of the experimenter who had no knowledge of the hypothesis or the specific research sphere; all were informed that they would be taking part in a cognitive psychological experiment involving lists of coloured words, the resulting data would be used in a report to gain university course credits and that they could withdraw at any time. Each individual signed a consent form thereby obtaining informed
Abstract
The effects of completing a task which requires the use of both automatic and controlled processes was investigated through a two-process experiment designed around a variation of the Stroop effect. Previous research found that, when performing certain tasks, response time is longer when an automatic process conflicts with a controlled process, in this instance reading interferes with naming the colour of ink a word is written in. These results reinforced a two-process theory of attention. In the current experiment, the nature of the words in which various colours of ink were printed was manipulated. The results further …show more content…
In an experiment participants were required to identify the colours that were used to spell out the names of other colours, as swiftly as possible (the Stroop condition). In the alternate condition, in which participants tended to execute their response with greater ease, colour-neutral words were used (e.g. rat, grand, bolt, etc.). It would seem that the ability to read forms an automatic response, which during the Stroop experiments interfered with the controlled process of naming the colour of the …show more content…
Sixteen of these participants were recruited from personnel at The Open University, or their family members and friends. The remaining four were selected from associates of the experimenter who had no knowledge of the hypothesis or the specific research sphere; all were informed that they would be taking part in a cognitive psychological experiment involving lists of coloured words, the resulting data would be used in a report to gain university course credits and that they could withdraw at any time. Each individual signed a consent form thereby obtaining informed